Nike Balance Sheet Analysis: Historical Cost & Liabilities
This paper analyzes Nike's 2015 balance sheet with a focus on the historical cost convention and its implications for asset valuation. It examines which assets recorded at historical cost are most likely to be undervalued or overvalued, evaluates whether the notes to the financial statements disclose fair market values, and assesses the reasonableness of Nike's total assets using current ratio and asset turnover metrics. The paper also identifies what qualifies an item as a current liability and evaluates the overall adequacy and clarity of Nike's financial statement disclosures, including areas where additional detail could improve usability for financial analysis.
- Historical Cost on Nike's Balance Sheet: Defines historical cost and its application to Nike assets
- Potentially Undervalued Assets Under Historical Cost: Identifies land and buildings as likely undervalued
- Assets Potentially Overvalued Under Historical Cost: Examines hardware, software, and goodwill overvaluation risk
- Fair Market Value Disclosures in the Financial Statement Notes: Evaluates whether notes disclose fair market values
- Total Assets and Liability Assessment: Assesses total assets and current liabilities using ratios
- Adequacy of Notes to the Financial Statements: Evaluates clarity and completeness of financial note disclosures
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Applies financial accounting concepts — historical cost, depreciation, fair market value, current ratio, and asset turnover — directly to a real company's published financials, grounding abstract theory in concrete figures.
- Uses specific numerical data from Nike's 2015 10-K (e.g., $273 million in land, $21,600 million in total assets, current ratio of 2.5) to support each evaluative claim.
- Balances positive evaluation with constructive critique, acknowledging that Nike's notes meet legal requirements while identifying specific gaps in detail around software amortization and weighted average cost of capital calculations.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied ratio analysis as an evaluative tool. Rather than simply reporting balance sheet figures, it uses the current ratio and asset turnover ratio to contextualize whether Nike's asset levels are appropriate — a technique that transforms raw financial data into meaningful interpretive judgments.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized as a structured Q&A analysis, with each section addressing a specific question about Nike's 2015 balance sheet. It moves logically from defining historical cost, to identifying under- and overvalued assets, to evaluating disclosure quality, and finally to assessing total asset and liability levels. Each section builds on foundational accounting concepts introduced earlier.
Historical Cost on Nike's Balance Sheet
The balance sheet presents a list of a firm's long- and short-term assets and liabilities. The historical cost convention sees assets measured at their original purchase price — the amount that was paid for them when they were acquired — rather than estimating current market value. Where historical cost is used, assets are recorded based on that original value and then depreciated over their estimated useful life. On Nike's balance sheet, property, plant, and equipment — including buildings, equipment, and computer hardware and software — are recorded at cost and listed under long-term assets.
Potentially Undervalued Assets Under Historical Cost
Because assets are recorded at historical cost, at any point in time the book value of those assets is likely to differ from their current market value. The assets most likely to be undervalued are those that may appreciate rather than depreciate over time. For example, Nike reported $273 million in land and $1,250 million in buildings. Either of these may be undervalued, as the real estate market may have increased their value since the original purchase date.
Assets Potentially Overvalued Under Historical Cost
Because assets are recognized at historical cost and then depreciated across their useful life, it is possible that some assets will lose market value faster than the chosen depreciation method accounts for. Items such as computer hardware and software are particularly susceptible to this, since it is not only age but technological progress that can cause rapid loss of market value. It is also possible that goodwill may be overvalued for similar reasons. This is why Note 3 of Nike's financial accounts indicates that the value of these assets is checked for impairment on a regular basis.
Reference
Nike. (2015). Nike 2015 Annual Report (Form 10-K). Retrieved from http://s1.q4cdn.com/806093406/files/doc_financials/2015/ar/docs/nike-2015-form-10K.pdf
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.